24 Hour Nightmare
by Tessa.Love is Dangerous
Summary: Levi thought he had it all. A successful job as a well-respected doctor, a nice husband he could call his own, and the dark shadows of his past were behind him, buried deep to forget and hide. But when his husband is kidnapped, he realizes that not everything can be left behind forever. The clock is ticking. Time is running out. And Eren's life...is in his hands.
1. Chapter 1

The day of their wedding was the single most stressful day he could ever remember in his already stressful life. Being the top doctor in the busy city of Rose isn't the easiest thing in the world.

"You look like you're about to torture someone." Farlan laughs, straightening his tie behind him in the mirror. His dull eyes slide to his 'friend' and a delicate eyebrow rises in question. The blond laugh harder and roughly pats his shoulder.

"Just calm down Levi. It's not like he's gonna run. He agreed to your horrid proposal." Levi snorts, body visibly relaxing and he nods and agrees with the young man.

"I guess you're right…" His gaze slides over to the rings, simple silver bands for the two of them, yet a hidden message for those who see them.

_Touch him and die._

"I suppose threatening that I would spread his nude pictures across the Internet if he didn't agree was a bit much."

"A bit much?! Levi, he didn't talk to you for weeks after!"

"I just had to make sure that he wouldn't leave." He sighs and grabs the rings. Farlan holds the door open for him, a light smile on his face, and Levi ducks under his arm before being tackle by a sobbing woman with glasses.

"Leviiiiii…you're getting married and I lost like $5,000 to Erwinnnn….I thought you liked meeeee…." Hanji wails and he rolls his eyes before prying the sobbing woman off, wiggling his arms as he fights her.

"If you'll excuse me…I have a wedding to go to. And it's your own fault for agreeing to that stupid bet." His curt reply startles the woman out of her misery and she grins, straightening in her dress. She nudges the shorter man.

"Of course. Go get him tiger. Honestly, I never thought I'd see the day that you would get married but hey, here we are."

He rolls his eyes, but inwardly, he's thankful for his friend for calming his nerves.

Sure he is a well-renowned doctor, but you would think he'd be more nervous cutting someone apart.

And yet here he is, almost shaking as he stands with Erwin at the front of the aisle. (The fucker said he'd be the one to officially tie the knot for the two, so he can control their marriage and their jobs, not doubt.)

He straightens the cuffs of his spotless suit, Farlan standing behind him as a silent supporter. Their small crowd watches in hushed excitement as Eren walks in, a dazzling white suit adorning his slim figure. Of course the suit was no match for the smile that made Eren's whole being brighten as he strides up to him at the front.

Their vows fly by in a blurring haze and the coolness of their rings is what snaps Levi to the present. To now. Cheers ring from the audience as Levi dips his new, young husband down, a genuine smile on his face.

"I love you Eren Jaeger." He whispers, leaning down for a kiss, but a finger stops him.

"Eren Ackerman." Eren raises an eyebrow and Levi inwardly blanches. Outwardly he sighs, that smile still on his face.

"We have years to decide." And with that, he kissed his husband.


	2. Chapter 2

_2 years later._

_26 hours left._

_10 PM_

_Trost Hospital_

"God I hate that man." Eren sneers as he watches Kenny walk away with Erwin, the blond man visibly tense. Eren's nurse, Annie, shrugs and pours herself another cup of coffee, blue eyes sharp and uncaring.

Kenny, the owner of the chain of hospitals that Erwin looked over, (see: supreme ruled with an iron fist of terror for his own amusement.) was never pleased with how the hospital's doctors worked. Namely…how he and Levi worked.

The man was a homophobic and thought that if he was, then everyone else should be too. One can only imagine how badly of a heart attack he had when the man found out his two best doctors were…well, gay.

Kenny, of course, wanted an immediate removal of the two after they were married, but somehow Erwin broke into his cold little heart and persuaded the man to not fire the two.

Even though they still had their jobs, Levi and Eren found themselves under the line of fire of Kenny more often than not nowadays.

Eren clenches his jaw and downs the rest of his coffee, trying to calm his frazzled nerves, before following his nurse back to some of his patients, reviewing their files over and over again until he's made himself sick.

Annie checks out at 10:30 and Eren tiredly tells her goodnight. He works for another half hour and after a while he finds himself standing outside one of his more delicate patient's room, half asleep when his husband comes up to him.

"You idiot. Go home and get some sleep. They don't need you now." Levi flicks his forehead and Eren blinks rapidly, staring dumbly at the short man as he processes his words.

"But…" He slurs, running a hand through his messy chocolate locks. "They…need me."

"And I need you. Awake. Alive. Well." Levi gently leads him through the dark hospital and checks him out (11:00 on the dot) before walking him to the car ramp.

"I want you calling me when you get home. The minute you get home." Levi commands him and Eren nods tiredly before pulling out his car keys. He pulls Levi in for a quick hug and kisses him gently with a goofy smile.

"I love you Levi."

The shorter man rolls his dull eyes, running a hand through the mess of hair on top his husband's head. "I know brat. I love you too."

Eren smiles slightly and kisses him once more before sliding into the driver's seat of the silver car. He raises his hand, mouthing, "Call you soon." before starting up the car.

Levi sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose as he makes his way back inside where a tired nurse is waiting. He groans silently. "Her again?"

The nurse nods and hands him a folder as they make their way down to the ICU. "Her blood pressure levels have spiked and we put her on a saline drip. We're still waiting for a donor."

"Let's hope she gets one soon…for both of us." He mutters, drawing the curtain back. He stares at his patient for a moment before slipping on a pair of gloves with a snap.

The rest of the night he works patiently before making sure the patient was stable once more, his tired mind slowly slipping away from the bad feeling he got when he saw Eren drive home alone. Levi even forgets that Eren still hasn't called him yet.

Levi leaves at around 11:30, eyes drooping in pure exhaustion as he drives back home. Luckily not many cars were out to give him the irritation he normally experiences.

He pulls into their garage and grumbles when he sees Eren's car parked in there. He gets out of his car with a slam and pulls his keys out, muttering under his breath.

"Damn brat forgot to call me. I told him twice to-" And when he walks inside his house he understands why his young husband never called.

His dull, gray eyes drag over the blood spatters that line the white carpet in their living room. It was obvious there had been a struggle, as the front door had nail scratches on it and the million dollar vases were smashed on the ground, the table they rested on scratched up as well.

He can almost hear his husband's desperate screams for help and he closes his eyes in pain, cursing himself for making his tired husband leave without him.

With a shuddering sigh he opens his eyes once more, alert as his hand grabs his phone. Turning into the kitchen he freezes, his socked foot now damp with the crimson blood that dampens the floor.

_Let's play a game, Rivaille. _

_Find yourself, find the boy._

_24 hours._

_The clock is ticking._

His fingers ghost over the blood-written note on the wall, and he knows in his heart of hearts that it was Eren's blood that stained their walls.

His shaking fingers unlock his phone and he numbly calls the first person he thinks of.

The man answers sleepily on the other end and Levi swallows hard when he hears his voice. "Levi? What's wrong? Did you have a complication with one of your patients?"

"No Erwin. This is much worse." He's crying. He never cries.

"Eren's been kidnapped. And in 24 hours…he'll be dead."


	3. Chapter 3

"_I was thinking you should wear a dress." Levi says suddenly over dinner one night._

_Eren choked on his drink, spraying the water all over the table as he gapes at his fiancé. "W-WHAT."_

_Levi smirks and sets down his fork with a dainty clink. "Just what I said. Instead of a suit, you should wear a big, frilly white dress. Some bows, pearls, only the best for you."_

"_Since when did we agree that I was the bottom?!" Eren desperately tries to get his manliness back with an indignant squawk. _

_Levi just watches him with an amused grin and leans over the table to grab Eren's collar with a strong grip._

"_I love you, Eren Jaeger." He murmurs and kisses the younger man before him._

* * *

The first thing Eren registers is that he can't see.

Or rather, that he had a blindfold on.

The second thing he registers is that he is chained in the most uncomfortable position ever as he dangles from the ceiling. He swears his shoulders will dislocate if he remains this way, arms forced over his head, legs stretched out side to side, since his body just sags while his arms take the brunt of his weight.

The young doctor wonders why he is here but then it all comes back to him when his head throbs. With a slight groan, the memories from the night before remind him of his danger.

"_Finally…" Eren sighs, tossing his keys into the basket by the back door. Cracking his neck, he slowly trudges into the living room, where he pulls out his phone, smiling at the picture of Levi and himself._

* * *

_He had caught the older man off-guard on the second day of their honeymoon. Eren had looked over to his new husband and smiled when he saw Levi scowling at the sand that dirtied his feet. _

_Eren laughed softly and rested his head on his husband's chest, internally wincing since last night had been so very, very passionate. Closing his eyes, he held his phone up, curling into Levi's loving embrace._

"_Eren? What are you-" Eren smiles brightly and takes the picture._

_Silence._

"_You. Fucking. Brat." Levi growls, sitting up in the sand. Eren sits up as well, laughing. He glances down at the picture, and his heart melts at the sight. He had never seen Levi look at him so lovingly, the carefree smile on the man's face a ghost of his actual, dulled looks._

"_Delete that right now or I swear to God." He threatens, standing when Eren does. _

_He pouts, cradling the phone closer to his chest. "But Levi…"_

_He can see his husband cracking under his puppy dog eyes, but he still fights it. "I want you to delete that right now."_

"_Leviiiii...I just want to keep this one. I think I deserve this, after all you've done to me." He raises an eyebrow and Levi glowers at him, face flushing in shame._

_After a couple of seconds, Levi looks away with a sigh and a quiet mumble. "Just that one…"_

_But Eren had caught it. He smiles so brightly the stars bow away in shame, and tackles his husband, littering kisses all over his face and lips._

* * *

_Eren laughs and unlocks his phone, bringing up Levi's contact. His finger hovers over the call button when he's struck hard from behind, falling to the ground with a hard blow to the base of his skull._

_His phone falls from his limp hand and he cries out, his crimson blood staining the white carpet. He can just hear Levi scolding him for dirtying the clean carpet, but whose fault is it really?_

_Eren tries to get to his feet, but the person behind him hits him in the small of his back. His mouth snaps open in a scream of pain, blood spraying from his dark cavern._

_He slowly crawls over to the front door, trying to grab his phone from under the table next to the door. A metal-toed boot slams into his ribs, sending him flying back against the door with a hard slam._

_Well…at least that put his spine back in place._

"_Oi!" A deep voice__, darkened by a whisper, cries out. "We just need to get him, not kill him! Stand down!"_

_A strong arm wraps around his middle, picking him up, and he screams in pain, lashing out against his attacker. He struggles to grip the door, nails scratching the whitened wood. His attacker swings him around, and Eren's arms flail lifelessly, hitting the vases hard enough to force them to tumble to the ground._

_Eren's dulled nails find purchase on the mahogany table, and he tries once more to desperately pull away, ignoring the pain in his spine and head. _

_He hears the closet door open before he can fully comprehend it, and suddenly he's limp against his captor, a large gash splitting his forehead open, thanks to the door that had slammed in his face._

_Eren's vision is lost by pounding headaches, but he is still able to hear just fine the voice that controls them all._

_"You idiots...bring him through the kitchen back out. I have some things I need to do with him."_

_He knew that voice...and he knew it well._

The door opens and his head snaps up, body shaking as he tries desperately to support his weight with his legs, but they've been forced apart so far, they limply fall back into place.

Eren numbly spits out blood, his split lip screaming in pain, and he tilts his head back, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Or is that blood…?

"Hello Eren." A soft voice echoes throughout the bloodied room and his beaten body freezes, voice muffled by the gag.

The footsteps slowly make their way over to him, and he whimpers when a soft finger pokes his bare chest, slowly gliding the digit up his bloodied chest to rest on his split lip.

"Do you miss your husband?" The soft voice asks him, and he clenches his jaw, swallowing hard.

Yes. He did miss him. So goddamn much. But…Eren doesn't want Levi to see him like this. He knows just what all Levi went through and knows what it did to the older man.

Eren doesn't want Levi to see another one of his loved one in pain anymore.

Instead he lashes out against the chains, arching his knee up to hit the person in front of him. But his kidnapper knew his every move, as they should, since they saw him every day.

The soft finger suddenly presses hard against his Adam's Apple, making him gag, and the voice is sharp with an obvious warning.

"Oh Eren…if only he could see you now."

The pressure leaves his throat and he coughs harshly, tilting his head away from the hand, but his head is jerked forwards by his bloodied hair, and he groans, body slumping in defeat.

The blindfold is suddenly taken off and his blurred vision stumbles onto one of his captors, but he can't make much out of the person before him. Only that the person was a female.

She sighs and caresses his bruised cheek with a hand before smiling sharply. He closes his eyes in slight pain, a searing migraine taking over him.

Something cool traces over his cheek and his body jerks forwards in surprise, an eye snapping back open to widen in fear when he realizes what the object is.

A needle.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" The woman murmurs, and his blood-curdling scream is the last thing Eren registers before his world goes painfully black.

* * *

One curt knock is all it takes for Levi to jump up from his spot on the floor and race towards the door, hand still painfully gripping that damned object.

Eren's phone.

Eren's cracked, shattered, bloodied, marred beyond recognition, phone.

"Erwin." His voice _(Was that even his voice? Since when did he sound so lost, so dejected?)_ cracks at the end of the man's name, and he doesn't have it in him to clear his throat. Instead he stares at the blond man before him before stepping to the side to let him in, another man coming in behind him as well.

Mike. That damned animal. Of course he had to bring the weirdest detective with him.

Damn you Erwin.

He shuts the door after Mike has stepped through and sighs, forcing his dulled, gray eyes to stare at the ceiling.

"Levi…" Erwin's voice is hushed, afraid. "What…happened in here?"

"Hell if I know!" He snaps, glaring at his boss. "I fucking walk through the door, into this fucking war zone, and end up with one fucking clue. _'Let's play a game, Rivaille.'"_ He mocks, hand tightening on Eren's phone; that damned picture still shining in the darkness.

Damn you Eren.

Damn you Erwin.

Eren…I…I…

He grits his teeth, pressing the balls of his hands hard against his eyes as he wills himself not to cry.

Damn it…Eren…where are you…

"Mike…do you even think he's alive?" Erwin asks quietly, but Levi still hears it. And it makes him positively livid.

In a split second, he's marched across the room and pinned the older man against the bloodstained wall, eyes glowing in unadulterated anger.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE. DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ERWIN. HE IS ALIVE. HE WILL BE ALIVE WHEN I FIND HIM AND TAKE HIM HOME IN 4 HOURS." His voice is all over the place, soft and loud, crying and shouting, and his grip tightens on the man's collar, other hand raised to punch him.

But…that punch never comes.

Instead, he slumps against the taller man, silent tears tracing his unmarred cheeks.

"He has to be…" He whispers over and over into Erwin's chest, a weak fist punching him lightly in the chest.

The other two men stay silent at Levi's sudden outburst and after a while, Levi pulls back, face devoid of emotion once more.

Yet his reddened eyes say otherwise.

"Eren should still be alive." Mike answers slowly after a while, careful in how he phrases his words, for fear the shorter man would attack him next. "After all, Levi is given 24 hours. Which would've started at midnight, and it's…" Every pair of eyes turns to the grandfather clock in the corner of the living room, the only thing not stained by its owner's blood.

"1:15."

Mike tilts his head up, sniffing the air as he walks around, careful not to destroy or alter any evidence. Levi clicks his tongue in annoyance, crossing his arms as he watches the blond man sniff around the room.

"Was bringing a fucking animal into my house absolutely necessary, Erwin?"

Erwin snorts softly, raising a thick eyebrow as he tilts his head to look at him.

"He's my friend and a great detective. Plus, only he and I know your secret." The blond reminds him with a smooth voice.

He sighs and rolls his eyes, tapping his foot anxiously as Mike wanders around before heading back to them.

"Two men, one female. The taller male of the two was carrying Eren, so he should have the majority of his blood on him. The female was the one to write the message on the wall, so she's the obvious leader of the three. And this." Mike gestures to a blood spatter on the wall, a small grin lighting up his face.

"Is not Eren's blood."

Erwin hums, nodding his head. "So if we identify the blood-"

"We identify one of his captors." Mike finishes, nodding as well.

The two men turn to look at Levi, and he glowers up at them.

"So? What the hell are you waiting for? Take that sample and find that motherfucker!"

* * *

"_Hello?"_

"_Hey. It's me. Just wanted to let you know, we're back in business."_

"_So you mean…"_

"_Yes. He's come back."_

* * *

1:30 AM

22.5 hours left.

Run Levi.

Run.

* * *

A/N: Hello and thank you for reading my story! I'll try to update as frequently as I can. I am enjoying writing this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this as we continue on with this adventure.

A few things before I leave.

I plan to make this around 10 to 15 chapters, and there will be some adult content in towards the later chapters.

There will be angst. Lots of it.

And finally, I guess, I don't own SNK!


	4. Chapter 4

_Eren cries out in horror as he glances down at his phone, quickly weaving between people to make his way to the granite steps, where a large building loomed over him. He swallows hard, running a hand through his messy hair before opening the glass doors as he loosens his tie._

_He almost runs head first into the chest of a blond man, who smiles slightly down at him, arms crossed as he steps to the side. Eren blinks and stares at the man, frowning as he realizes he looks very familiar._

_Eren sweeps his gaze over the older man, first taking in his black suit, tailored just right, before meeting those cool blue eyes that watch him with veiled laughter. He arches an eyebrow and takes in the rest of the man, seeing his brown undercut and those…fucking huge…eyebrows…_

"_Yes I know my eyebrows are huge." The man before him laughs. "Levi likes to remind me about them all the time."_

_Eren sucks in a sharp breath and freezes. Did he just say that out loud?! Shit, shit, shit, shit…that means…this man…is…_

"_What the fuck are you doing Erwin?" A shorter man appears from the elevator, eyebrows drawn together in obvious irritation. "I thought you were going to get the car."_

"_We needed to meet Eren, remember?" Erwin responds calmly, tugging gently at his cuffs. "And stop using such vulgar language, please."_

"_Fuck you."_

_Erwin sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Levi tsks, tapping his foot impatiently. "Where is the brat anyways? Eren is it? Sounds like a fucking girl."_

_The blond man looks over apologetically, but Eren can't find it in himself to be mad. _

_How can he, when the most handsome man to ever walk the earth insulted him?_

_Eren takes in Levi's profile with a quick sweep of the eyes. His shorter body shows a loose tense set to his joints, and his fine arms cross over his chest in impatience. A dark blue tie hugs his creamy neck and his thin lips purse together. _

_And his eyes._

_Dear God his eyes._

_Their eyes lock and Eren swallows hard, ears going red at the tips. Levi's granite gray eyes stare into his soul, raven hair falling to cover the piercing gaze._

"_What the fuck is your problem? Who the hell are you?"_

_Eren opens his mouth,_

_And speaks his death._

"_Please fuck me."_

* * *

Eren wakes, feeling more rested than he'd felt for weeks.

His next scream of pain says otherwise though.

Why the hell does his head hurt so badly? Why can't he see? Better yet:

Why the fuck can't he move?

"Oh Eren." A soft voice sighs somewhere off to his left and he tries to tilt his head to the left, but restraints on his head and chin don't give him much room to move. He chokes out a cry, hands clenching as he tries to pull his wrist free from the chains.

"Do you like your new bed? Isn't it comfortable? I'll admit, we had to restrain your arms and legs to the bed because we don't want you to hurt yourself." The soft-spoken woman rests a gentle hand on his arm and gently rubs it.

"I feel bad that you have to bear the brunt of our frustrations, but your husband did something that we just can't forget quite yet."

He tries to speak, but a wordless whimper escapes his split lips. The woman laughs softly and traces her fingers down his temple to his lips. He wonders fleetingly why she won't remove his blindfold anymore.

"Testing your eyes was sad to me, but we wanted to see if it worked like how your husband would test too. And it worked better than I thought." She laughs softly, and suddenly her lips brush his ear.

"Only 14 more hours Eren, and then you'll be put out of your misery."

And he cries, cries tears of blood from his damaged eyes.

* * *

10:30 AM

_13 and a half hours left_

_Trost Hospital_

_Status: Lockdown. All doctors and nurses will be asked to give a sample of blood to the police._

Levi stands next to Erwin, a pounding headache tearing his head apart. He watches Mike as he directs all the doctors and nurses to a private room to give small samples of blood before continuing with their work.

The catch?

No one can come in or out of the hospital until everyone is cleared.

Eren's nurse, Annie, comes up to him and Erwin after she's given her blood, icy blue eyes watching the two of them. "I'm sorry to hear about Eren. Hopefully he can be found soon."

Levi says nothing, breathing slowly. Erwin places a hand on his shoulder and nods to the nurse in front of them. "We thank you for your concern. I have to ask if you don't mind, if you've seen or heard anything unusual."

Annie stares at the two of them for a moment, gaze dead and hard. "You're not the police. Stay out of my business."

Before either man can speak, she's already left back to her office. Levi watches her go, eyes narrowed. The Emergency Room was oddly quiet as the workers slowly shuffle to the testing rooms.

But then that fucktard has to ruin the tense quiet.

"WOULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN WHY THE HELL THE BUSIEST AND MOST NEEDED HOSPITAL THAT I OWN IN UNDER LOCKDOWN FOR AN UNDERTERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME?!" Kenny bellows, slamming the doors open while some policemen fight to drag him back out.

Erwin sighs and pats Levi's shoulder before walking over to the dark-haired man. The doctors and nurses don't even bat an eye at Kenny's outburst, much too used to them sadly.

Hanji finds him sitting with his head in between his legs a little while later. The woman doesn't comment on how dirty the floor is that he sits on and slides down next to him. They sit quietly for a couple of minutes before Hanji speaks up.

"I spoke to him like you said."

Levi says nothing in response. His lithe fingers twist the ring around and around his pale finger.

_A promise Levi? Oh no! (A laugh and a quirky smile) The ring is a sign of my love for you! You know I'll love you until the end of time…_

"Why…why do I have to go back…why are they wanting me to do this?" He whispers, head bowing to hide the dark circles under his tired, saddened eyes.

Hanji, for once, has nothing to say, and she silently hands him the dark ring, curling his hand around it.

"You know you have to…for Eren."

"Eren is the reason that I left this behind to begin with!" He hisses, hand clenching the ring hard enough to draw blood. Hanji and Levi watch the blood drip from his clenched hand with dull, slightly haunted but obviously desiring eyes.

"Shit." He breathes, eyes dark.

Before Hanji can respond, Mike comes over to the two, bending down. "We've found a match. It belongs to a woman named-"

"LEVI ACKERMAN THIS IS IT. YOU'RE FIRED!" Kenny shouts, interrupting Mike. Hanji whimpers slightly when Levi cracks the stone in the ring as he stands, breathing erratic.

He storms past Mike, ignoring Erwin's calm commands to stop, and grabs Kenny's tie and pulls it tight, slamming the older man hard back against the wall, whole being shaking with unadulterated anger.

"And why the hell am I?" He growls lowly, pulling his silk tie tighter against his neck. "Because my husband is missing and will be killed in almost twelve hours? Do you even know who I am? I could kill you without blinking an eye."

"That's enough, Levi." Hanji pulls him back, and Kenny gasps for air, sliding down the wall as his shaking hands try desperately to loosen his tie. Erwin bends down to help the older man, although stiffly. Hanji physically restrains him back as he shouts at the holiest bosses of bosses, cursing the man and his unborn children to rot in hell for eternity.

A cold pair of eyes watches the entire exchange before slipping their hood up as they silently slip past the guards to the outside world.

* * *

"_We need to move. Now. They've caught onto us."_

"_B-but we can't now! He's in the middle of a new test!"_

"_What the fuck didn't you understand? They're chasing after our asses. We're moving him now. Understood?"_

_A sigh. "Yes Boss."_

* * *

"Are you sure you can stay calm and mature Levi?" Erwin asks, crossing his arms as he stands in front of the door, eyeing the shorter man with a calm gaze.

"Fuck you, let me in. The clock is ticking. I need to know who it is now. Then the others can help me." Levi spits, self-consciously twisting the dark ring round and round his right thumb.

"I'm already contacting them." Hanji tells him, phone glued to her ear as she breaks away from her frantic ramblings for a brief second.

Levi nods and Erwin sighs, stepping to the side to let the two in before following after them. Levi pulls his dirtied lab coat tighter around his chest, sitting down before the animal detective.

Mike slides a file to him, sitting back in his chair. Levi sighs and opens it slowly, Hanji peering over his shoulder as she tilts her phone so the other people on the other side of the screen can see it as well.

His eyes widen and he sucks in a sharp breath, eyes scanning the file frantically. "Shit. No. It can't be her."

A dark profanity can be heard on the recipient's side of Hanji's phone. "We've been searching for her forever! How the fuck did she slip under our noses?! We're the toughest gang in the Underground!"

"The Titans are a powerful group Farlan." Hanji murmurs, reading her file. Levi clenches his jaw and grips the photo of the woman in his shaking hands.

"The Female Titan. The boss of that damned group. And my husband's nurse. Annie Leonhart."

* * *

"_Hey, hey guess what?"_

"_What?"_

"_Big bro is back! We gonna help him?"_

"_Of course. He is the leader after all."_

"_Will we find her?"_

"…_one can only hope…"_

* * *

_11:30 AM_

_12.5 hours left._

_Run Levi._

_Run._

_Your precious Eren bleeds on the tiles you destroyed with your evil._

_Run Levi._

_._

_._

_._

_**Run.**_

* * *

A/N: Thank you all for such positive feedback on this story! A few quick notes before I leave.

I'm going to be posting sporadically, I mostly just write when I feel some inspiration.

And my friend is forcing me to write a chapter in 24 hours so I can have my own little test of sorts. This'll be fun! ^-^

The little memories at the beginning are Eren's memories and dreams as he's held captive, if you haven't picked up on that.

This story is wildly unbeta'ed so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

And finally, I don't own SNK! See you next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

"_H-hey Levi." Eren laughs, jogging lightly to keep up with his shorter boyfriend. Levi said nothing as he held the brunet's wrist tighter as he drags him harder towards the Ferris wheel._

"_Come on brat, we're going to miss it." Levi mutters and Eren smiles brightly before nodding, starting to run faster._

_The two make it in time to snag the last car and Eren sighs, melting into the plastic seats, sitting across the raven haired man. "Alright Levi, spill it. This isn't some little date we normally go on. We took a weekday off. And you know how crazy it is right now."_

_Levi stares softly at the younger male for a soft while before sighing, looking out of the small windows to gaze down at the lake next to the wheel._

_Eren yelps softly when Levi suddenly leans forwards, twisting the younger male's silk tie round his hand before dragging him close. _

"_U-uh Levi…" Eren breathes out, laughing nervously. "What are you-mmfh!"_

_The older man kisses him roughly, parting his lips quickly, nipping hard at the younger's lips. He knew just what buttons to press for the younger male._

_Eren huffs out softly, moaning as his grips the raven locks between his fingers. He falls to his knees, sliding up against Levi, their heaving chests brushing against the other's._

_Eren only pulls back when the older man tugs his tie, mumbling something._

"_What…was that?" Eren pants softly. Levi sighs and suddenly changes their positions. Eren blinks as he stares down at the kneeling man, who is holding something that looks suspiciously like a ring box._

_Oh my God…_

"_L-levi?"_

"_Just…be quiet for a minute Eren." Levi's voice trembles slightly and Eren's breath hitches. _

"_I'm not the best at this sappy shit so don't expect much." Levi breathes out slowly, eyes fluttering shut. His steely gaze is stronger than before when were hid beneath his lids. "We've been through a lot, you've really captured my heart you shitty brat…so…I guess…"_

_Levi opens the small box, revealing a simply silver band, perfect for the sun-kissed skin of Eren. Eren sucks in a sharp breath, eyes tearing up. _

"_Marry me or I'll spread your nudes on the Internet."_

_Ah. There it is._

_Eren stares at him blankly, taking the ring from his boyfriend, now fiancé, and walks out of the car silently, Levi behind him with a small smirk on his face._

* * *

Eren Ackerman nee. Jaeger lies limply on his metal bed, broken ribs forcing his breath to be weak and shuddering. Two deeper voices frantically talk to the other across him and he wheezes, blood trickling from the corner of his lip.

"Come on Eren, we're done with this injection. We're going someplace fun!" A gentler male voice tells him and he groans softly, veins on fire.

"Injection done?" Annie asks, voice rushed and Eren cranes his head to the side, trying to see her. Her cold hand strokes his cheek as she passes by.

"Yes Boss."

"Good Bertholdt." She purrs and Eren whimpers, whole body shivering. Two strong arms wrap around his limp body, cradling him close and the four head out to God knows where.

Eren's body starts convulsing halfway through their trip and Annie tries to calm him down, injecting something else into the side of his neck, cooing calming words into his ear.

His eyes roll back into his head, foam trickling from his mouth.

"L-le…levi…" he cries out hoarsely, whole body jerking in the arms that hold him.

"Control him." Annie snaps and Eren gags when Bertholdt apologizes before stuffing Eren's own dirtied, bloodied socks into his mouth.

"We'll begin the final phase in the new place." Annie informs them, and Eren is vaguely aware of a car door closing. "He's already blinded. His veins are slowly deteriorating, and his heart will fail in 12 hours."

The three gang members laugh darkly and Annie's cold hands drag him back so he's resting his head on her lap. She strokes his bloodied face, and even though he can't see, he knows she has a razor sharp grin on her normally dulled face.

"And now the final part." She gently strokes his fingernails and breathes out wetly.

"…w-w-why…?"

"Because your husband took something very important from me, so I thought I'd return the favor."

* * *

_12 PM_

_The Corps Underground Headquarters_

_Details: Unknown_

_Leader: Previously: Rivaille 2006-2011_

_Now: Farlan __2011-2015_

_ Now: Rivaille 2015-_

_Kills: Over 500, most through Rivaille's reign_

"Hanji, I want you tracking down the Female Titan's phone. Farlan, figure out who all works with that bastard. Isabel, inform the others that I'm back and I want that bitch tracked down now." Rivaille snaps, dragging his black trench coat over his slim shoulders. Farlan and Isabel salute him and run off, Erwin and Mike staying quiet behind him.

"Keep those fucking dogs out of my place." He growls to the detective and Mike nods quietly.

"As long as you pay a fee, we'll let you go free when Eren is safely home."

Levi smiles softly at that, eyes dark and cold. Any sign of the caring husband of Eren Jaeger is gone and in its place is the deadly Corp leader who struck fear in the hearts of those around him for five years.

"You think he'll be home safely." He snorts, dully looking at the ring around his thumb. "He'll be home, just not as intact as I'd like."

"What makes you so sure?" Erwin questions, an eyebrow delicately raised.

Before Levi can answer him, Hanji jogs up to him. "I've found the coordinates of where she's at. I've already sent a first wave to her."

Rivaille stares stonily at Erwin. "We'll be the next wave."

"And to answer your question, I'm the one who trained her. No one passed under my guidance without killing someone slowly without blinking an eye."

Rivaille smiles bitterly at that. "So that's how I know. And I'm hating myself for that."

* * *

"Front door, secure." Farlan murmurs, and Rivaille nods, Mike and his policemen quietly waiting behind him.

"Back entrance, secure." Isabel informs him, and when Hanji gives him the okay, he kicks the living room window of the Leonhart's family home, shattering it simply.

He jerks his head to the side and a couple of his men follow him in. Rivaille pokes his head back up to look at the sea of law officials.

"I will inform you when I find something."

Mike nods and with that, Rivaille turns back to his companions.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Let's go." Annie's voice has lost that soft tone, and Eren is hauled up none too gently, into the arms on Reiner once more.

They must have thought that Levi wouldn't be able to find him in time, considering they ended up telling him every little detail they planned on with his kidnapping.

"Strap him in the chair. I want him to look beautiful when Levi finds him." Annie laughs, and Reiner's chest rumbles with his laughter as well.

_Levi…Levi…_

_Even though I know what all you've done…_

_I still love you…_

_I promised I would…_

…_right?_

* * *

Rivaille forces the basement door open and he curses darkly, dark eyes taking in the blood-splattered walls, tufts of Eren's hair laid around the room as if little gifts for him to enjoy.

And in the middle of that damned room.

Annie's cellphone.

With a simple message.

_Only 11 hours left, Rivaille._

_I thought you were smarted than this._

* * *

"_Just how delicate are the nails, Rivaille?"_

_A laugh. "Quite delicate, midget. They'll be screaming the answers for you within two nails."_

"_Wow. How amazing."_

"_Quite. Now it's time for you to learn, hmm?"_

* * *

1:00 PM

_How will you ever find your precious boy Levi?_

_Will you turn back into that heartless monster?_

_Run Levi._

_Run._

* * *

_A/N: Eren's memories are at the beginning, remember that._

_Thank you all for reading this! Don't be afraid to comment or tell me how to improve!_

_This journey will get...more intense._

_I fixed some stupid mistakes. And I have a note for you all._

_Enjoy your time with Eren, because soon, it may be too late._


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey Eren. I wanna do just one more thing." Annie tells him, humming lightly.

**.I.**

"_Levi, no, listen to me." Eren laughs softly, pulling back from shorter man. The raven growls in frustration and turns around to face his husband._

"_Eren, just stop it. I can't play the piano. My fingers don't work like that. Yours are just…fucking magical."_

_Eren raises an eyebrow delicately, holding his breath to calm his laughter. "Magical fingers?"_

_Levi nods, shrugging. "Not just on the piano, but on my body too. Do you know how turned on I-"_

"_OKAY LEVI." Eren interrupts the man quickly, cheeks dark with a girlish blush._

_The older man just smirks. "What's the matter, Jaeger? Embarrassed that you make your husband feel good?"_

"_Well…" Eren stutters, trying to form a coherent sentence. "I-I mean…I'm glad I make you feel good…but you really don't have to-"_

"_Just shut up and play brat."_

"_O-okay." Levi slides off the bench gracefully and Eren sits down in the warm spot, fingers ghosting over the ivory keys. "What do you want me to play?"_

_Levi shrugs, leaning back in the white loveseat, eyes closed and face relaxed. "Rhapsody In Blue. You always play that so nicely…"_

_He smiles softly and nods, turning back to the baby grand that Levi had given him for their first year anniversary with the promise from the younger man that he would play it at least once a week._

_He closes his eyes and lets his fingers take over, already knowing the song by heart, since it was his mother's favorite. With a flourish, his fingers tickle the keys and glide up gracefully, coaxing the advanced song from the instrument._

_Levi watches his husband, a soft smile on his face. His heart leaps with this thing called love and he leans forwards to rest his elbows on his legs._

"_Eren." He murmurs, tugging lightly at his collar as he swallows hard. _

_The younger man stops, fingers hovering over the keys. He doesn't turn around, knowing by the tone of the man's voice what exactly he wants._

"_Yes Levi?"_

"_Come here…" _

_Eren smiles softly and nods, finally turning around to meet the gaze of his husband. Levi holds out his hand, pinky outstretched, and Eren slowly stands, swaying his hips as he walks over._

_He links his pinky with the other, kissing it gently before sitting down on Levi's lap, smiling softly._

"_Hey you." Eren breathes, resting his forehead against the shorter man's._

"_Hey yourself." Levi laughs softly, resting a hand on Eren's hip, the other on the nape of his neck._

_The two stare at each other for a quiet moment and Eren gently strokes Levi's cheek, smiling softly._

"_I love you." He murmurs before lightly pressing his lips to the older man's. Levi hums slightly, his grip tightening as he opens his mouth, moving to deepen the kiss._

_Eren tangles his lithe fingers in Levi's orderly hair, messing it up in an instant. With a growl, Levi flips Eren and pushes him into the plush cushions, the two of them in a dangerous war, harsh pants emitting from the two of them._

"_Tonight, I'll fuck you so hard you won't even be able to walk." Levi growls, a hand tracing down the younger male's chest to ghost over his crotch. Eren groans and bites Levi's lip, an obvious message between the two._

_Two can play at this game._

_Levi forces Eren's head back with a tug of his unruly hair and Eren submits, moaning as Levi continues to abuse his lips, hips jerking when Levi slips a hand down his pants._

_A harsh ringing jolts the two out of their lustful haze and Eren looks up at Levi, eyes blown dark because of lust, cheeks flushed dark and lips swollen and bleeding. The two stare at each other, obviously wanting to continue, but Levi swallows hard, trying to control his harsh breathing as he answer his phone angrily._

"_What the fuck do you want now, you fucking walking eyebrow?" Levi snarls, leaving Eren's lap to stand, for the temptation was too much for the older man._

"_Nice to talk to you too Levi." Erwin sighs from the other side, and Levi's small wick of patience shortens further._

"_What do you fucking want, you dipshit? I was in the middle of a wonderful make out session with my lovely husband, and I'd like to continue that if all this is is some stupid call."_

"_I just wanted to let you know that Mrs. Norman is going to be moved from ICU to regular monitoring and that she'll be-"_

"_Under my watch, I know the drill Erwin. Couldn't this have waited until tomorrow? It's our fucking anniversary for fucks sake."_

"_Correction, no it is not. Not for another…" Levi hears some rustling from the other end and Erwin comes back. "Month and 3 days."_

"_You have. A fucking calendar. THAT TELLS YOU THIS?!"_

"_Of course not. I had to write it down. Calendars can't talk Levi."_

"_I swear to God Erwin I will torture you so fucking slowly that you will __**beg**__ me to kill you."_

"_Love you too Levi, but I'd advise you to love your husband more."_

"_Fuck you too you piece of shit."_

_Eren had moved from off the loveseat to stand behind Levi with a soft smile on his face. When Levi had hung up, he looped his arms around the other's waist, pressing a kiss to the sweet spot on his neck._

_Levi shivered slightly, leaning back against him with a drawn out sigh. "That fucking bastard. He knew that we were doing this. Must have cameras somewhere."_

_Eren laughs, linking their pinkies together as he whispers huskily, "Well, should we give him a show then?"_

* * *

"It involves this thing that helps your body from the outside. Oh, don't scream. At least not in pain. You are quite sexy though when you can't handle the pain any longer." Annie laughs softly, ignoring the screams that echo around her.

**.II.**

"_Annie, I need help." Eren groans, resting his head on his messy desk with a whine._

"_With what? If it's washing that kid's back again, I swear to God Jaeger that I won't." Annie glares at him with a gaze that could freeze seas._

_Eren sits up quickly, shaking his head frantically. "No! Not that. And…it's Ackerman now." He adds with a quiet blush._

_He yelps when Annie's cold hands brush his neck, yanking his collar down with ease. "Yeah…I can tell." She deadpans, a smirk dusting her dull voice._

"_S-shut up!" He cries, covering the nasty hickey on his neck with a dark blush. "It's about…my ring…"_

"_Your what now?"_

"_My ring!" He holds up his left hand to show his ring finger blaringly bare for a newlywed. _

"_Don't tell me you fucking lost your ring, Ackerman." Annie groans, placing some files on her own desk. "I knew you were an idiot, but __**come on**__."_

"_Of course I didn't! And I'm not an idiot!" Eren yells. He holds up his right hand to show her the silver band sitting snuggly on his ring finger. "It fits perfectly fine on this hand, but not on the hand it should be on!"_

"_Then why don't you fucking go to a fucking jeweler's, you shit?!" Annie yells back, clearly annoyed at her co-worker._

_A head pops through the doorway, thick eyebrows raised in either annoyance or amusement, the young workers couldn't tell._

"_Mind explaining what's going on in here?" Erwin Smith steps through the doorway and leans against the doorframe, eyes boring down on the two._

_Annie huffs and turns back to her paperwork. "Nothing Sir, Dr. Ackerman was just being stupid as always."_

"_Now you listen here, Leonhart." Eren rises to his feet, visibly fuming and ready to strike. "You don't have the-"_

"_Jaeger step the fuck away from her before I beat your sorry ass into Hell and back again." Levi Ackerman threatens as he steps around Erwin, glare darker than the black hair that rests on his head._

_Eren freezes and growls, fists clenching before he exhales, going back to his desk to fume over patient files in silence._

_Dr. Ackerman turns to the nurse next, but a large hand rests on his shoulder to stop him._

"_Levi, the reason we came here was to tell them to quiet it down and stop the vulgar language and the first thing you do is swear right back at them." Erwin sighs, closing his eye for a second to keep the headache forming at bay._

_He opens his eyes, clearly set on what he was about to say. "Eren and Levi, you are dismissed for the rest of the day."_

_The two doctors freeze in obvious shock, glancing at the other before looking back at the taller man._

"_Sir, I assure you it was just a little brawl." Eren tries to back up, plastering a smile to his face. "I assure you I can keep working."_

"_Not while you two are still in the honeymoon phase." Erwin comments nonchalantly. "Just go to the jeweler's, fix your ring, and go home to have angry sex before coming back tomorrow with a better attitude. Understood?"_

_Annie glances between the flushing doctor that she unfortunately worked for and the raven haired doctor before looking back down at her papers._

"_U-understood, Dr. Smith."_

_Erwin steps to the side to allow Levi to pass, dragging Eren along behind him. The blond then turns to the silent nurse, holding up a sponge and towel._

"_You still need to help Nicholas with his daily scrubbing, Nurse Leonhart."_

_Annie shoots the older man a glare, but since Erwin had been around Levi enough, he wasn't even fazed._

"_Don't blame me. You're the one who wanted to become a nurse."_

* * *

"Oh Eren, Levi will be so happy to see you looking so nice and handsome." He jerks in pain, trying to wrench his hand from her iron grip.

"Oh now, we can't have any of that. The fun has just begun."

**.III.**

"_Eren, put that filthy finger down before I shove it up your ass so far, you'll snort it out." Levi smacks the side of his head, jolting Eren out of his hatred party._

"_Ow! Levi!" He whines, turning to glare at the shorter man. "What the hell?!"_

"_You sound like a fucking girl, shut the fuck up before I make you sleep on the floor." Levi rubs his temples, an impending headache already forming._

"_It's not my fault Kenny is a fucking asshole." Eren growls, glaring at the man as he walks with Erwin to the faculty meeting room, obviously ignoring the two married men._

"_Eren…I understand that he gets on your nerves, but you should just let it go. Everyone else is fine with us. I told you from the start that there would be bastards who would jeer at us for loving each other." Levi gently rubs Eren's arm, pulling him back into the supply closet, locking it without the younger knowing._

"_I know that Levi, but do we really need that kind of abuse?!" Eren shouts, kicking the rack of lab coats, gripping his messy locks hard in his hands, silver band glinting dully in the sickly yellow light._

"_Eren…" Levi sighs, pulling him in for a hug. He rubs Eren's back, trying to calm him down, but Eren grabs his arms and slams him back against walls so hard that Levi sees stars._

"_Levi…I…" Eren pants, thumping his head against Levi's delicate shoulder._

_Levi sighs, knowing all too well what Eren was feeling._

"_Do it Eren. I give you permission."_

_Eren breathes out sharply, freezing as Levi's legs trail up his side to wrap around his waist._

"_Let's make a mess he can never erase." Levi whispers, kissing the shell of his ear. "Show him what comes from our love. Hmm?"_

_Eren angrily gropes at Levi's belt before ripping it off, pulling his pants down with no hesitation, the anger making his eyes burn brighter than before._

_He takes Levi painfully and hard against the wall in the supply closet, which do little to nothing from covering Levi's cries. _

_Hanji laughs at the face Kenny makes as the three, Kenny, Erwin and Hanji, walk past the closet and she leans close to Kenny, twirling the spare key round and round her middle finger._

"_Sounds like they don't give a flying fuck about you or your opinions." She laughs, Levi's scream of 'Dear God Eren, right fucking there!' adding to her statement._

_Kenny leaves without a word, although his face is a slight shade of green as he steps into the afternoon sun._

* * *

"Just how many memories are in your little mind, Eren?" Annie wipes her bloodied hands before moving on.

"I so desperately want to you know better."

**.IV.**

"_Eren, you shitty brat, I will-" Levi pauses when a tanned finger kisses his lips, and he shoots an annoyed glare at the man before him._

_Eren sends him a pouting look, dazzling eyes drooping with a whining gesture. _

"_Levi please just let me stay in the kitchen by myself for another ten minutes. I'm almost done I swear!"_

"_Okay one. Stop putting that fucking finger on my lips. Who knows where all that nasty shit has been."_

"_Only inside you, Sir." Eren winks, paling after as he realized what he just said._

_Levi was not amused._

"_I will let that slide just because you are my husband and I don't know how I'd explain your death to the police. Second. Just give me some medicine and a fucking HOT cup of tea and I'll leave you alone for an hour." He rubs his forehead with a grimace, and Eren looks at him worriedly._

"_Are you still having those headaches Levi?" He turns around to get the medicine and place a kettle on the stove. He tosses the bottle to Levi, who takes it with a grunt._

"_I've always had these headaches, nothing new."_

_Eren bites his lip and nods. Soon the water is at the right temperature and he pours a cup before placing a tea bag in it, gently setting it down on the coffee table, where Levi rests next to on the white couch, a dainty arm flung over his eyes._

"_I'll wake you up when dinner is ready. Feel better soon." Eren gently kisses Levi and heads back into the kitchen, where he works for another hour before setting the table._

_After lighting the last candle, he smiles and nods, heading back to his sleeping husband, who was curled in a tight ball in the corner of the couch, peacefully sleeping. Eren felt a slight twinge of guilt as he bends down to gently shake the man awake._

"_Levi…Happy Anniversary." He smiles when Levi slowly sits up, rubbing his eyes groggily._

"_Don't fucking tell me you made a dinner for us."_

"_Yep!" Eren smiles, pleased with himself._

_Levi sighs, leaning forwards to grab his cellphone. He dials a number, and Eren frowns, watching him._

"_Yes, I'd like to place an order for two sandwiches." Levi frowns, rolling his eyes. "As long as it's edible, just fucking put it on there."_

"_Levi!" Eren shouts, hitting his husband upside the head. "Are you seriously buying dinner?!"_

"_Of course. I can't eat anything from you for surely I'll die, and I thought you loved me." Levi looks up at him innocently._

"_LEVI!"_

* * *

"Why do you love that murderer so, Eren?" Annie questions him after a long while. "Many of my loved ones have left after learning that I kill for fun. But why are you so different?"

**.** **V.**

"_Levi, I swear to God, if we are late for this, I won't have sex with you for a month." Eren hisses as they bolt towards city hall, where a steady stream of people are filing in. Levi rolls his eyes, loosening his tie slightly._

"_So? I can always just ask Erwin."_

_The look Eren gives him is enough for Levi to shut his mouth until they are seated at the front of the hall, where two podiums stand, the owners nowhere to be found._

"_So why are we here again?" Levi mumbles, leaning close to Eren._

_Eren just sighs and sits back in his chair, running a hand through his messy locks._

"_Armin is running for governor and I said I'd be here for the final debate. Does it hurt you to remember one thing about my life?!"_

_Levi just shrugs, clapping politely when Armin and another man walk out. _

_The debate lasts for a fucking long time, and Levi taps his foot impatiently, already knowing halfway through that Armin was definitely going to win. Eren pinches his thigh as a warning and Levi sighs, stopping the noise to sit back into his chair and watch it continue._

_Finally, after three hours, the debate is over, and Armin looks nervously over to Eren, who smiles brightly and flashes him a thumbs up._

_And it's there that Levi realizes just how kind a soul Eren Jaeger has._

* * *

"Why do you bite your hand so much?" Annie laughs, tracing the scars by his thumb with a cool object. "Does he rape you so much that you just bite and bear it?"

**.VI.**

"_Oi, Eren." Levi says one lazy afternoon. Eren looks up from the book he was reading to look at the older man in question._

"_Why do you have scars by your thumb? Those look deep and nasty."_

_Eren's breath hitches and he subconsciously hides the scarred hand, heart pounding wildly._

"…_Dad always said to stay quiet and be a good boy…so I had to…"_

_There was a tense silence._

_And then Levi snapped._

"_Eren fucking Jaeger, are you telling me that you were abused as a child?!"_

_He flinches and shakes his head, not wanting to meet his husband's eye. "No…I got punished because I was a bad boy. I deserved it."_

"_Eren." Levi's voice is low, dangerous, and slow. "What did you do."_

"_I-I'd spill water…or trip…" Eren bows his head, fists clenching. "I was such a bad son…"_

_There's a tense silence in the room and Eren flinches when he hears Levi stand up without a word. He hears the older man quietly walk over next to him and Eren sucks in a sharp breath when a gentle hand rests on his knee._

"_Eren. Look at me." Levi whispers, only touching the man's knee, careful not to set him off._

"_I can't." Eren's voice is soft, dejected._

"_Yes you can. You're strong Eren, so very strong."_

_Eren chokes back a sob and bites his lip before looking up through his tear-stained lashes._

_Levi smiles softly and leans forwards so he can see Eren's face better. "Hey."_

_Eren swallows and closes his eyes, breath shuddering as he tries not to cry. Levi sighs and rubs his knee, staying silent as Eren quietly cries before him. Brushing his lips gently against Eren's, Levi whispers gently, "I'm so sorry Eren…"_

"_L-Levi…can you hold me?" Eren whimpers, eyes screwed shut tightly, one of his hands clutching the sleeve of Levi's dress shirt desperately._

_Silently Levi slides up onto the couch and he wraps his arms around his young husband. Eren silently cries out, burying his head in Levi's chest as he sobs ugly cries. Levi gently rubs his back and lets him cry, gently holding Eren's hand in his own before stroking the garish scars._

_Eren freezes. "L-Levi?"_

_He gently tilts Eren's chin up, kissing away the tears before gently kissing him. Eren sniffles and kisses Levi gently back, pulling back to lay his head on Levi's collarbone._

"_I'm sorry Levi…" Eren chokes out, hand tightening on the warm fabric._

"_Brat…it's not your fault…"_

* * *

"Tell me Eren. What would happen if I cut off your finger? Would you be sad? Because your husband was laughing when he cut off my father's fingers."

**.VII.**

"_Oi…brat…if you don't stop poking me, I'll be forced to take…drastic measures." Levi growls sleepily, but the yawn that cuts through his threat softens the blow tremendously. _

_Eren laughs softly and burrows farther under the covers, smiling as he takes in his sleepy husband. Levi groans, rolling to his side to turn away from Eren. Eren pouts, but he isn't complaining as his eyes travel down the rolling muscles of Levi's back, and the way the sheets cling to the older man's legs, baring that delicious-_

_Okay, maybe he was just a little horny in the morning._

_Scooting closer to his husband, he drapes an arm over his waist to spoon the smaller man. Levi whines, yes whines, in protest and kicks Eren hard enough for him to roll back slightly, his hand still resting on Levi's naked hip._

"_You look beautiful this morning." Eren whispers huskily, and Levi looks blearily over his shoulder to glare half-heartedly at the other._

"_Shut your (yawn) fucking mouth, because you aren't touching this ass for a loooong time."_

_Eren pouts but nods, resting his head on Levi's shoulder. Levi's gaze softens and he presses a kiss to Eren's forehead._

"_Morning Eren."_

"_Good morning Levi." He smiles softly, poking Levi in the cheek. The older man dully stares at him before tilting his head back down to the pillows._

"_If I don't get to sleep until 9 I swear to God Eren that you will be forced to clean the floors with a toothbrush."_

_With a joyful laugh Eren agrees and turns to lay on his back, eyes fluttering shut once more. _

"…_love you, you shitty brat."_

* * *

"Hey, Eren? Do you hate me?" Annie asks in the same voice Levi did, so long ago. "Because I completely understand if you do."

**.VIII.**

"_Eren, don't flick off the guests. It's rude." Levi pulls his hand down, face void of emotion but steely gaze laughing in mirth. Eren makes a face down at his new husband and points with his middle finger at the man sitting next to his sister._

"_Fuckface, I mean, __**horseface**__," Eren says loud enough for the man to hear. "Is hitting on my sister, and I find it disgusting. Go mate with your own kind!" Eren hollers, standing up, and Levi hisses, forcefully pulling the younger man back down into his seat._

"_I swear I will divorce you right now, you piece of shit." Levi growls menacingly, glaring darkly. Eren simply smiles and shrugs._

"_But you'd miss me. And!" Eren pokes Levi's nose at this. "Who's the one who proposed in the first place?"_

"_Me, but that's-"_

"_Ah, ah, ahhh~!" Eren sings, smirking down at the older male. "Wouldn't that look bad if the person who proposed is the person who filed for divorce? They probably thought you just wanted my ass until you couldn't take it anymore."_

"_That's exactly why I married you." Levi deadpans. The two stare at each other for a short while before bursting out into laughter simultaneously. _

"_Oh my God Levi!" Eren laughs, covering his mouth to hide his big smile. Levi chuckles, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes._

"_I fucking love you, Eren Ackerman."_

"_And I fucking return that, Levi shitstain Ackerman."_

_The two grin at each other before Levi pulls Eren in for a loving kiss._

* * *

"We're almost done. You've been such a good boy Eren. I wish we could do this all the time…"

**.IX.**

_Eren groans loudly, head thrown back in utter bliss as Levi rolls his hips, thrusting gently into the younger male. His nails dig hard enough to draw blood on the back that he had dreamed about for so long, and Eren lets his hands go slack to trail down Levi's back._

_With a shudder, Levi thrusts in sharply, head bowed as he pants softly, a low groan emitting from his parted lips when Eren clenches sweetly around him, voice high in pleasure._

"_F-fuck! Levi~! Ngh…there! Hit there again!" Eren moans, eyes rolling back as his hips jerk up wildly, desperately, to meet Levi's._

"_Shit…Eren." Levi groans, forcing Eren's legs apart wider as his pace increases, the various sounds from Eren ranging from short screams to bouncing moans._

_Eren runs his hands through Levi's sweaty hair, panting and moaning loudly, and he watches the ring on his finger jolt back and forth from the power of Levi's thrusts._

_The two lock gazes and suddenly they're biting and clawing at each other in a desperate race to the top. Levi's thrusts become erratic and Eren can barely kiss him back, head tilting back suddenly to scream loudly as his back arches, hitting his climax first._

_Levi groans and freezes, hips locking as he cums hard inside the younger male, a low groan rattling from his tired throat._

_The two pant harshly as Levi catches himself on his elbows above Eren, and Eren slowly opens his eyes to look up at Levi, eyes calming from their lustful haze to loving gaze._

_He catches Levi's hand with his own and presses it to his cheek, the cool of his ring cooling Eren's warm cheek. He smiles and presses a kiss to the palm of Levi's hand._

"_I love you Levi…so much…"_

_Levi sighs, a genuine smile on his face as he leans down to capture his husband's lips once more. _

"_I love you too Eren."_

* * *

"Say Eren…did you ever want kids with him? Why do you even think you'd be a good parent? I mean, you did kill that girl."

**.X.**

"_Code Red on floor 5. Code Red on floor 5." Levi and Annie watch as Eren rushes past them, eyes wide and face paled in panic as he runs with the other doctors and nurses towards the little girl's room._

_Levi sighs and closes his file, walking more slowly and somber as he knows what is about to take place._

_Eren watches as a couple of nurses try to calm the convulsing girl and he staggers towards her bedside, tears streaming down his face. He links his pinky with the girl's and she tightens her grip on his finger, only slackening when her heart beats no more._

_An anguished cry, louder than that of the parents, meets Levi from the hallway and he closes his eyes, shaking his head._

"_It's a damn shame Erwin…"_

_Eren stumbles out of the room and into the loving arms of his husband, where he sobs harshly, falling limp in Levi's arms._

"_S-she just died…in my arms…on my watch…I'm a murderer!" Eren cries, sitting on the ground when Levi gently helps him down._

"_Shh…you're not a murderer…something shitty happened, and she left us too soon. It wasn't your fault."_

_Eren just sobs harder, shaking his head as he murmurs something that breaks Levi's heart._

"_I'm such a terrible parent…"_

* * *

"Hey Eren? You awake?"

.

.

.

"_I'm sorry I killed her."_

* * *

A/N:...sorrynotsorry

That was the fastest I've ever vomited that many words out.

Let's see if any of you understand what just happened in this chapter...


	7. Chapter 7

She wipes her bloodied hands, the last fingernail falling to the ground with a soft sound. Bertholdt and Reiner step forwards to start preparing the young doctor as they watch the clock tick down. They ignore the soft groan as Reiner picks up Eren, bringing him to a warm bath drawn.

Annie sighs and pulls the bloodied sheets back, since Rivaille won't take none of that. When Reiner comes to get her, she smiles softly and nods, following behind him.

Her dull eyes take in the master bedroom quickly, cold gaze landing on the main prize of the room.

Eren Jaeger.

His broken body slumps against the mahogany headboard, washed clean of the blood that stained him. His bare fingernails bleed into the white sheets and his damaged eyes stare off past her head and she vaguely wonders if he's even awake.

"You got it. I'm amazed." She grins at Reiner and he smirks, crossing his arms.

"I knew Levi wouldn't miss it."

She crosses the room with slow measured strides and fixes the red rose on the lapel of the younger, patting his cheek as she leans forwards to whisper in his ear.

"At least he'll realize that it's your wedding suit."

* * *

5:00 PM

7 hours left

"Levi. If we are to continue with this search, I need you to be honest with me and explain your relationship with Annie Leonhart." Mike and Erwin sit across from Rivaille and Hanji, who continues to converse with Farlan and Isabel.

Levi sighs and leans back in his chair. "It's a long story."

"We have time." Erwin says quietly. "We're working as hard as we can along with your members. "

Levi breathes out slowly, eyes darting to the clock frantically. _Seven hours. Seven hours and he's dead. Oh my God, what if I don't find him…_

"Hanji, tell me you're finding something." He hisses. The woman stares at him, swallowing hesitantly.

"I think you should just start talking, Rivaille…it'll take your mind off it this…"

Levi stares at his hands, and after a long silence, Mike clears his throat and speaks. "Why don't we start at the place I think everyone wants to know: Why didn't you realize that Annie was The Female Titan?"

Even Hanji pauses to look Rivaille as the shorter man sigh and clears his throat.

"She didn't always look like that. She was a natural redhead."

* * *

_Rivaille steps over the last body from the rogue gang and pauses when he hears a soft cry._

"_Oi. Rivaille. What are you doing?" Farlan hisses from the front door. "The police are on their way here as we speak. Hurry up!"_

"_There's someone still alive." He looks down at a small girl with dull eyes. She looks up, icy eyes empty and fearful. _

"_Come on brat. Let's go home." He holds a hand out to her and she looks down at the dead woman in front of her. Most likely her mother, Rivaille sighs._

"_Mother said I couldn't go with strangers." The girl curls closer to herself, pale face stained crimson._

"_What's your name kid?" _

"_My father once called me Female Titan. He said I'd take over one day. But he's dead to me." Something about the girl's dead voice makes him shiver inside. _

"_Well, Female Titan. I'll be your new dad. Call me Rivaille and I'll call you Ani."_

"_You won't leave?"_

_Rivaille laughs at that. "Not unless I die."_

_Ani nods and takes his hand. Farlan sends him a questioning look that he ignores and leads the girl out into the dying sun. The girl stops to look at the rest of his gang and he smirks, looking down at her. Isabel squeals and picks the girl up._

"_You're so adorable! Awwww Rivaille do we get to keep her?"_

"_Well I guess you got Isabel's stamp of approval." Rivaille chuckles and ruffles the girl's red hair. _

"_Welcome to The Corps kid."_

* * *

"I taught her everything she knows. The best places to chop off first, how to hurt someone without killing them right off the bat. And everyone loved her. She was so damn smart."

Rivaille looks at his hands, sighing as Hanji pats his shoulder.

"Why did you give up your power?" Mike looks up from his notes.

At this Levi smiles softly. "A certain brat stole my heart. But Ani never understood why I gave up something I worked so hard for…but Eren was so innocent in the world and I didn't want to mar that…I didn't want him to know about me…I love him too much for that."

"Why would she do this though?"

"Because…I killed her father. And forced her to help."

* * *

"_Say, Ani. You're a big girl now. 18 years old. Would you like to join me on a raid?" Rivaille looks at the girl from his knife in his hand, a sliver of a smile flitting across his face._

_Her dulled eyes light up at that and she sits forwards in her chair. "Really? Are you serious?" _

"_Uh, big bro." Isabel pops her head into the private quarters and eyes him suspiciously. "Isn't she supposed to be somewhere else? And isn't this the raid where-"_

"_Know your place Isabel." Rivaille snaps, flinging his knife at the woman without even batting an eye. "She's old enough. She can witness this like the adult she is."_

_He stands and the 18-year-old stands as well, saluting him before rushing out to grab her gear. Rivaille slowly stands as well and sheathes his knife before heading out with the others._

_The raid goes well and ends quickly, and Rivaille drags the captured man back with them, Ani asking him who the man was._

_He pauses and smiles softly, pressing the knife harder in the man's neck in warning and he stops fighting Rivaille before he speaks._

"_You'll see soon. Go meet up with Isabel and I'll have her send you in when it's time." Ani nods and follows the excitable girl. His smile darkens and he leers down at the covered man, Hanji giggling behind him._

"_Let's go, Mr. Leonhart."_

* * *

"The man you captured…he was Annie's father, right?" Erwin clarifies and Levi breathes out slowly before nodding.

"Yes…he was my last victim before I left for Eren."

Erwin raises an eyebrow and Mike looks up. "I thought there were more."

"Of course there were more." Hanji speaks up for him and he silently thanks her as he looks down at his trembling hands once more. "That doesn't mean that Levi participated in killing them. We kept up his legacy while he started having doubts."

"And Annie?"

"_Ani_." He corrects him, accent thick as his hands clench together tightly. "And she left…swearing to get her revenge on me…and I guess she has."

* * *

"_Ani." Rivaille dodges a fist aimed at him and steps to the side, dully staring at the bloodstained girl._

"_YOU HAD ME KILL MY FATHER!" She screams and kicks at him and he shoos Isabel and Farlan back, letting the girl continue on her rage._

"_I killed my parents to get this job. It's a rite of passage. I thought you were ready." He shrugs and she stops to glare at him, panting._

"_I know about your little lover." She hisses, eyes glowing and wild. "You better watch your back, because I plan to get revenge."_

_He lets her go, not heeding her warning as he goes to clean up before his date with Eren._

* * *

"_We've found something. Want us to check it out?"_

"_It's better than nothing. Two of you keep looking. She's too smart for us."_

* * *

7:00 PM

_5 hours left._

_The light grows dimmer, as the Corps underestimate one of their own._

_Perhaps you taught her a little too well, Levi._

_So you better run._

* * *

A/N: I rewrote this chapter like five times and I'm still not happy with it. So I apologize for the crappy chapter.


	8. Chapter 8

She pours some hot water in a coffee mug with a tea packet, humming softly as she looks outside to the sea. With a soft blow on the water, she turns around and heads into the patio out back.

Reiner looks up briefly from his book before nodding. Bertholdt scoots over on the sofa and she sits down with a soft sigh, setting her tea down.

The three sits quietly, relaxed as they listen to the ocean. Closing her eyes, she leans back. "I understand now why Eren loves this place so."

Reiner makes a noise of agreement. "How much did he talk about this place?"

She laughs softly and shrugs, opening her eyes to look up. "Every Monday after he'd come back from the weekend he'd tell me about the newest thing he and '_Levi_' had discovered or done. One time he told me he pulled Levi into the sea and man…" She covers her mouth to hide her smile. "I could almost feel the death glares Levi sent him."

Bertholdt shakes his head. "Eren sounds like quite a wild man."

Annie smirks. "You should've seen him at work. All starry-eyed and blushing, gushing over how great his husband is. How loving and caring he is. The only time I ever saw Rivaille being loving or caring was when he'd torture someone slowly."

Reiner snorts. "Sounds like another person entirely. I guess we'll just have to see what he's like when he finds us. That last clue of yours is so obvious it makes me want to cry from how stupid they are. I guess Eren really dumbed him up."

The three laugh and Bertholdt excuses himself, grabbing some more water. Annie relaxes back on the sofa and breathes in the salty air.

Her phone buzzes and a sharp smile slits her emotionless face.

"It's show time, Reiner. He's found us."

* * *

_9:30 PM_

_Trost Police Station_

_2 and a half hours left_

"Levi…Rivaille. Whatever you want to be called." Erwin rests his head on his hands, staring deeply at the shorter man across the table. "You are willingly confessing to over 400 murders in exchange for immunity and the freedom to see Eren in the hospital. Do you agree to this?"

"And you'll be in jail without bail after Eren is rescued." Mike interjects, clipping his stack of papers together. The papers that were Levi's full confession, over 100 papers, covering over 5 years of terror.

Levi nods, and Hanji sits quietly next to him, typing away furiously at her phone, muttering incoherently under her breath once in a while.

"Let's go over the list of victims again to make sure it's right, alright?"

Levi tenses slightly but nods, knowing he couldn't avoid it.

"Thomas Wager, first victim, Sept. 15th, 2006." A nod.

After running down the list, Erwin slides a folder across the table, and Levi inspects it with furrowed brows, paling when he reads further.

"Hanji. It's Mobilt."

Her head snaps up. "No. Fuck no."

He grimaces and pushes the folder over to her with a nod, burying his face in his hands.

"What's wrong, Levi? Didn't you kill him?" Erwin asks.

At that, Levi glares for the first time since he came here. "Why the hell would I kill one of my informants? He was Hanji's fiancé. He was a valued member of our group. He went missing months ago and none of us could track him down. I guess you guys found him first…"

Hanji wipes a tear from her eye but says nothing more on her fiancé, going back to work. It's what they had always done and she wasn't going to throw years of training under the bus when Rivaille's husband was still missing.

"So who killed him?" Mike questions.

"Isn't it obvious, fucktard?" Levi hisses. "It's Ani. It always was Ani. She just killed them with my signature move to frame me."

"She was always breaking you." Erwin murmurs, and Mike nods, taking out another sheet of paper. "When you didn't even know it."

His phone buzzes and four pairs of eyes stare at the dark phone on the table. Levi slightly raises his cuffed hands up, shrugging. He obviously couldn't answer it.

Mike answers it, and a soft voice comes through, a well known sound heard from the back.

"_Hello, Rivaille and Co.."_ The ocean crashes in the background and he tenses, fighting his restraints. "_You probably have already figured this out, but this little message is a recording. So, why don't I introduce myself._" A laugh.

"_My name is Ani Leonhart. A-n-i or A-n-n-i-e if you're Eren. Ahhh…it's always about Eren in the end isn't it? My given name, my birth name is a lovely little thing. The Female Titan._

"_I am the one who stole the precious little Eren and damaged his innocence. Which I'm surprised hasn't already been destroyed by you, Rivaille. You must've had a lot of self-restraint._

"_Let's start from the beginning, hmm? A little background noise for you as you head out to find me from the police station. You know where I am. Your beautiful beach house by the ocean because Eren always dreamed of living by the ocean. You sicken me, Rivaille."_

Mike releases his wrists from the cuffs and Levi almost runs from the room, Hanji, Erwin and Mike hot on his heels as he listens to Ani as they cramp into Mike's car quickly. Mike turns the sirens on and stomps on the gas as Hanji barks instructions to the Ackerman's beach house, Erwin and Levi listening closely.

"_We did basic torture for a while, but that got dull quite quickly. Although, he did react nicely to a mixture of some new drugs I got my hands on."_ She laughs and Levi almost snaps his phone in half.

"_His eyes were so fun to play with too. I think you're really going to like my surprise for you. If you make it in time of course."_

"How long will it take to get there?" Levi looks at the clock.

Quarter to ten.

"Two hours." Fuck.

"We're cutting it fucking close. This better be the right place." Mike veers past a driver, the rest of his team following behind him.

"Is it okay to feel like I was to vomit?" Levi questions softly and Erwin sighs.

"No Levi…it's completely fine."

* * *

Bertholdt fixes the last candle, the dulled spotlight shining in just the right space. Annie stands in the back, stepping out of Reiner's way when he moves the petals slightly to the right.

Eren lies motionlessly on the white bed, skin as pale as the sheets. Bertholdt offers the young doctor some water and when he gets no response, sets the glass on the nightstand with a sigh.

Annie smiles when she hears the sirens and the tire screeches. Flipping the safety off her gun, she motions for the other two to go to the designated spots as she slides onto the bed, curling up close to Eren.

"_It's the big finale boys."_

* * *

_11:55 PM_

_5 minutes left._

_Levi…do you think Eren wants you to save him, or do you think he wants to be put out of his misery after this day of hell, all thanks to you?_

_Hurry Levi._

_Run._

* * *

A/N: Alrighty! There'll only be about 4 or 5 chapters left! *sobs*

Enjoy!


	9. Chapter 9

_11:56 PM_

"Damnit, let me out of these handcuffs!" Levi all but screams, fighting Erwin as the taller man drags him out of the car.

"We can't be for certain that Eren is actually-"

"Erwin, shut the hell up!" Levi roars, snapping the chains in half, freeing his hands. Before any of them have time to react, Levi had stolen Erwin's gun and broken Hanji's handcuffs as well.

Gunshots rang out and Levi rolled across the hood of the car, Hanji right behind him. Erwin shouts something but all Levi hears is the shattering of glass above him as he flicks off the safety of the gun.

Cursing under his breath, he ducks as Hanji shoots at the two men that shoot at them, hitting them both in the kneecaps. One man, a blond, burly hunk of a guy, swears loudly as he falls down. The other, a tall lanky man, falls without a noise of protest, crying out in something that could be label as relief. The police swarm in and cuff the two men, calling for an ambulance.

_Reiner and Bertholdt…those bastards were in on it too._

"Hanji. Meet Isabel around the back. Farlan and I will storm the front." He snaps to his right hand man and Hanji nods grimly, running low by the bushes as she bolts to the back.

Levi grits his teeth and crawls to the front steps, Farlan already on the porch and watching him with a sharp eye.

"Are you ready to see this Rivaille?" Farlan asks him quietly amidst the chaos around them.

"No." Levi answers him honestly, and he ignores the shock on Farlan's face. "No I am not ready to see my husband, the man I love and cherish so fucking much, be completely destroyed when I find him."

Levi breaks off with a shaky breath. "B-but…"

They lay on the wooden planks of the porch and Levi is brought back to a memory of months ago when he made sweet love to Eren on these same planks, breaking in their dream house.

Or rather, Eren's dream house. But every dream of Eren's was a dream of Levi's and the only thing Levi wanted more in life than Eren himself was seeing every wish of Eren's made.

Rivaille swallows hard and when he meets Farlan's eye again, his own are cold and merciless. "But Eren needs my help and I made a promise two years ago that I would be with him, in sickness and in health."

….

"Do you hear them Eren?" Annie asks him sweetly, stroking his tear stained, and quite bloodied, cheek. "They're all here, for _you._ You've been such a good boy that I'd hate to kill you, but I have to keep my promise."

Her azure gaze locks onto the bedside clock and she smirks, flicking off the safety of her gun.

"Just a minute left. One minute Eren. Tell me, if you could have anything in the world beside you as you die what would you want?"

Eren's head limply falls to the side, and his dulled, once beautiful, gaze lands somewhere past her shoulder. His chapped and bloodied lips form a weak word and he repeats it over and over again.

"_L…Le…Levi…"_

And before she can respond, a low voice growls past the closed door.

"Oh I believe I can make that wish come true."

….

He and Farlan quickly make their way through the house, guided by a trail of blood red rose petals and candle light from the top of the second level.

They quietly work up the stairs and he repeatedly checks his watch.

_2 minutes left._

_1 minute left._

_1 fucking minute._

He hears a soft, lilting voice, immediately recognizing it to be Ani's and his heart shatters when he hears Eren's broken voice respond to her question.

_L…Le…Levi_

_He's calling for me._

He growls a quick response and kicks down the door, falling to the ground as Ani shoots at him. Farlan returns fire, ducking back into the hallway but they all freeze when Ani speaks.

"Time's up. I'll shoot him."

"Bullshit!" He shouts, rising to his feet. "We're here. I am literally two feet away from him! I met your fucking deadline."

Ani stares coolly at him, never one to shy away from death, and she ignores the two guns aimed right at her, in the same spot.

Right between those fucking eyebrows.

"You haven't looked at him once since you came here. I worked so hard to make him pretty for you and you never even glanced his way."

Levi grits his teeth and swallows hard, forcing himself to look at the thing he created.

Eren lies slouched on their bed. Levi forces himself to start at the doctor's feet and move up, trying to keep his exterior cold and uncaring as he inspects his young husband.

_He's wearing his wedding suit…_

Levi notices Eren's pants are stained red and his brow furrows, a sick feeling churning in his stomach as he looks at the damaged hands that rest on the pants. Fingerless…bleeding…Swallowing hard, he looks up farther, noticing the discoloring on his husband's wrists and fingers. A blood red rose rests in his lapel, trails of blood dripping down Eren's tie. Levi closes his eyes and breathes out to steel himself before looking at Eren's face.

And he wishes he didn't.

Eren's beautiful eyes stare at him, dulled and bloodied. Tears of blood trail from his bruised eyelids to drip down his swollen chin. His dried lips part slowly, and Levi strains to hear him.

"…L…Le…_Levi…_"

"Eren…" He breathes, falling to his knees as tears run down his face. "Oh Eren…I've finally found you…"

Eren's gaze lands on the wall behind him and his trembling lips curl into a faint smile. "You've…c-c…come for…me…"

"Idiot. Of course I did." Levi chokes out, trying to catch Eren's gaze but Eren never directly looks at him. Levi's heart sinks as the reality slowly sinks in.

_Eren is blind…_

"Wow. This has been touching, but I'm afraid we're done here." Levi looks up just as Ani pulls the trigger…

And falls to her death, the bullet she commanded hitting the ceiling. Ani's body falls to the ground and Eren slouches over on the bed, coughing up bloody foam, body convulsing as his eyes roll back in his head. Farlan watches from the door, eyes cold as they stare down the barrel of the gun, which was still aimed where Ani had last sat.

Levi lies on the ground, disbelieving for a few moments before Eren's strangled voice breaks him out of his reverie. Without a second thought, he jumps to his feet and rushes to his dying husband's side, stroking his bloodied hair.

"Eren…don't worry love, help is on the way." Levi whispers, kissing his temple lightly. Eren convulses under his touch and Levi looks to Farlan who smiles sadly as he is handcuffed.

"We've found him, Rivaille. But at what cost?"

Levi looks back down at his husband, eyes trained on the man as he is pulled onto a stretcher and stabilized. Rivaille blinks slowly when the familiar chill of the handcuffs cuts through his wrists, and he smiles sharply, looking back up at his comrade.

"The cost? My freedom and his life. My choices have fucked his life so badly; I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves me if he ever gets better."

"_If_, Rivaille?"

"Yes Church. _If_, because I'm done lying to myself anymore."

_12:05 AM_

_FIN_

* * *

A/N: I am so frustrated. I'm so sorry if this chapter absolutely sucked or isn't what you envisioned, but I have rewritten this chapter more than five times before finally being kinda happy about it.

I apologize for this utter crap and I hope you stick with me during these final hours.


End file.
